Hudson's Medusa Brewing Company to can beer

HUDSON – Medusa Brewing Company will be releasing its first beer in cans next week, and it could be a preview of things to come.

The Oct. 28 release of Laser Cat, Medusa’s popular imperial India pale ale, could lead to cans of fresh brewed-in-Hudson beers available at local liquor stores.

“I don’t want to say we’re testing the waters – the waters have been tested by people,” said co-owner Keith Sullivan. “People have been asking us to do cans, and we plan on making this a regular thing. If we’re selling all of the cans at the taproom consistently we’re not going to hit stores with it. If we do start shifting the can production to package stores, it would be around the beginning of the year.”

Since Medusa opened its doors in March 2015, their beers have only been available in the Main Street taproom on draft, on draft at a few bars and in growlers (64 ounce glass jugs).

But, Sullivan said, the brewery recently invested in more equipment making the canning possible.

“For the longest time, we’ve focused on the taproom and making sure we’ve had enough beer for our customers there. With the equipment, it just makes sense for us to do cans.”

Medusa contracted with Iron Heart, a company that performs mobile canning, to package Laser Cat.

Laser Cat is one of Medusa’s most popular beers, Sullivan said. The label will feature a furry feline shooting lasers from its eyes. Laser Cat Is a double IPA that comes in at 8 percent alcohol by volume. It is brewed with both Nugget and Necar hops. Sullivan said it is much beloved by IPA fans.

“We’re trying to start with a flash,” Sullivan said. “It’s a pretty aggressive beer. I wouldn’t call it a super soft, modern IPA. It has a lot of modern qualities, a fruity aroma, but it has a very solid mouth structure and noticeable presence of hops. It’s a really good, all-around beer. The reason it’s so popular is not just because of its name, but it’s because it’s pleasing to most people who like IPAs.”

Laser Cat is the only beer Medusa plans on putting in cans for the foreseeable future.

Laser Cat will go on sale at Medusa Brewing Company, 111 Main St., on Oct. 28 at 10 a.m. There will be a limit of one case per person. Four packs of 16 ounce cans will be available for $16.

Norman Miller can be reached at 508-626-3823 or nmiller@wickedlocal.com. For beer info, follow Norman Miller on Twitter and Instagram @RealBeerNut or on Facebook at facebook.com/NormanMillerBeerNut.